


Hands Touch, Eyes Meet

by Jakestartledthewitch



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Dorks in Love, Falling In Love, Gen, M/M, Sign Language, this is entirely self-indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-13 11:19:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10512702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jakestartledthewitch/pseuds/Jakestartledthewitch
Summary: "'What are you staring at them for?' He whispered.'Do you see their hands? They’re speaking with them.'"Ryoma wanted to know the Nohrian Prince better, better than he's ever known him in the past. He just...didn't know how to go about that.Then he saw Xander's hands.





	

If asked where it started, Ryoma would tell you it was his hands.

Corrin had united both Hoshido and Nohr in her army, and it was, quite frankly, a beautiful sight that Ryoma honestly missed. He may have been young when his sister was stolen from him, and even younger still before that, but he remembered when Nohr was considered a valuable ally. 

He remembered the stories he heard of his father’s travels, of his mother’s letters, and all the shenanigans his father and King Garon got into when they were mere princes. They were but stories, of course, and he cannot remember them word for word as his father’s passing and his sister’s kidnapping layered over them in brutal ink, but...he remembered they were there, once. And he remembered his father’s smile when he told them, after he had caught Ryoma getting into shenanigans, himself. 

(Ryoma also remembered the sickly prince of Nohr that would hide in his father’s long capes when he was brought along diplomatic trips, and Ryoma wanted to befriend him but he just wasn’t sure how)

While Ryoma missed the sight of Hoshidans and Nohrians fighting together (as Silas and Hana clash weapons in sparring and trade teasing as well as blows)...

...or even just simply getting along, as his other siblings do with their Nohrian counterparts. 

Takumi and Prince Leo had been passing many marches by each other’s side, talking about different novels and stories they had read; histories they were intrigued by; magic and tactics they were thinking of utilizing and bouncing off each other at such a pace Ryoma couldn’t keep up. To Ryoma, it felt like they were going faster than lightening; sometimes he witnessed them having two conversations _at once_ , talking of two different topics nearly simultaneously. It was genuinely spooky.

Princess Camilla and Hinoka bonded, surprising all, as Camilla was as ladylike as a brutally terrifying soldier could be, like lace inscribed an axe, and Hinoka was boyish, the true embodiment of determination and perseverance, the strength Hoshido would always be proud of; just as powerful and treasured on the field, especially alongside those she cared for. 

(Just last battle, he watched Hinoka dive her Pegasis in front of an arrow- _an arrow_ \- to save Princess Camilla from it. Both were unharmed; and once Ryoma calmed down from the momentary panic, he was impressed by how well they worked together.)

Even his youngest sibling, his precious and lovely Sakura, was finding confidence and laughter in the youngest princess of Nohr. She was spending time making flower crowns, smiling serenely as Princess Elise talked about anything and everything under the sun, from family to retainers to music and flowers. At first, Ryoma feared it was one-sided, but Sakura told him she liked listening to her with no pressure to join in unless she wanted to. It made her feel better to know that she was never expected to always have something profound to say, that she could just bask in the conversation and listen and enjoy.

(Elise once made them both matching flower crowns, and Sakura would not take it off. She was embarrassed by how happy the simple gesture made her.)

He watched his siblings grow so close to Xander’s; how they smile so freely and talk of their home and their life as if they’ve been doing so for years; and Ryoma doesn’t want to tear that away from them. 

One time, late at night, he and Sakura discussed the bonds, when Sakura came into his tent because she couldn’t sleep. He told her he was wary, that it felt nearly odd to be so close to them, so seemingly soon. He wondered if they felt pressured to; if his siblings were being as practical as they were forced to be. Sakura was silent for a bit before she told him that she rather enjoyed the close company, enjoyed talking with them and living by them. It was better than what they could have hoped for, to her: Ryoma and his family have Corrin, again, and another, just as good family. It was large, united by love; it bickered and clashed sometimes, but it felt whole. 

(Ryoma thought about what she said almost nonstop since then.)

Ryoma was sincerely overjoyed that his family was happy. He would never ask them to tear themselves away from the support they’ve gotten.

...But he felt sort of left behind. 

Ryoma could barely admit it to himself, but he still didn’t know how to befriend Xander. He tried to talk to him as the others have done, but it felt awkward and charged and like they would really rather be doing _anything else_. The most they could talk about that wasn’t off limits (Corrin’s time in Nohr; their fathers; the Concubine Wars; and for some strange reason, Corrin’s retainers) were politics and siblings; and while that was indeed pleasant and gave insight to who Xander truly was; it wasn’t enough. There was that arm’s length that they held each other at and Ryoma found himself wanting to eliminate the distance. 

He just really wasn’t sure what the best way to go about it was. 

He wanted to ask him to spar, but he was worried about their soldiers seeing it as unrest, or it stirring back the thoughts of war and anger that burned in him when facing off against Xander before. He wanted to ask the other man to meditate with him, but he didn’t know if Xander would be willing to sit still for more than five seconds without some work in front of him. 

Normally, Ryoma would rush in and see what consequences lie after, especially when his meditation brought no clear answers, but this was important. Xander was his equal, he would be king someday as well, and if Ryoma wished for peace he would do well not to start petty fights while they’re still princes. His siblings also wanted it to go well, because they were leaders who would craft the era of peace with their own hands, and, well, they were big brothers, too. Their relationship influenced the rest. 

And Ryoma...had his own reasons for wanting to do it right.

He was drawn to the other Crown Prince and the way he carried himself, so different from the boy before in their youth; the way he cared for and doted on his siblings like a father would, indulging them far more than he ever claimed to; even to the way he blinked himself awake early in the morning, trying to stop a yawn from breaking through the careful cracks of his mask. 

Xander was much more than Ryoma ever thought he would be. It was fascinating, but also frustrating, because Ryoma kept getting distracted by the golden prince when he was around; the way he spoke, the way he would make subtle faces at inanimate objects and animals as if his disappointed face would make them act as he wished; the way he would hum to himself sometimes- small things that made him human. 

(Ryoma will only admit to a select few that Xander is also a very beautiful man.)

And, if asked, Ryoma would swear that he was, completely and truly, focused on the war meeting at hand. If he snuck glances at the other crown prince, there was none the wiser, especially not the man himself; but no one could say he couldn’t watch him and also pay attention.

But then Xander was signaling in some code to Leo, who looked surprised but responded in kind, and, well-

They were somehow communicating without even speaking or writing. Ryoma did not rule out the possibility of telepathy. 

Ryoma had never seen anything like it before. He was unabashedly staring, his eyes following the movements back and forth as they continued to communicate; so obvious in his ogling that Takumi nudged his side. 

“What are you staring at them for?” He whispered. 

“Do you see their hands? They’re speaking with them.” 

Takumi glanced over at the two at his brother’s awestruck tone, his eyebrows raising significantly when he watched them. “Huh. Wonder what they’re saying.” 

Leo pursed his lips, glancing back at the map, and then began to signal to his brother again. Ryoma could hardly keep up with the rapid pace the brothers were communicating at. 

Xander lit up, his usual mask slipping slightly, his eyes softening with a proud huff of affection before the mask came back on, and his cool, regal air was back again. 

He cleared his throat. “Leo pointed out to me that we should change around the tactics in this area,” Xander gently tapped by where the pegasus knights were stationed, “This flank is open to their archers, which could be disastrous and lead to a few casualties.” 

“Oh!” Corrin straightened her spine, “Thank you for pointing that out- both of you. I missed that.” 

Both nodded their heads in acknowledgement. 

“ _Oh_ , that’s probably their Sign Language.” Takumi whispered, mostly to himself; looking like he wanted to take his brother by the shoulders and rattle him in excitement because he solved the mystery. It was just like he used to be as a child and rather cute. 

“Sign Language?” 

“Yeah, the Nohrian deaf and hard of hearing’s natural language. Hoshido has one, too. Did you seriously not know?” 

“I am afraid my linguistics studies did not focus on languages such as that, no. Did you read about it in a book?” Ryoma teased, relishing in his little brother’s eyeroll and embarrassed flush. 

“Leo told me about it, actually.” 

Ryoma was hardly surprised, but the statement still brought a small scowl to his face. He loved hearing his siblings have friends and social lives, but he also disliked the idea that he was still far behind them in that regard. 

(he had always sort of been a sore loser, as a child)

“What? Are you still seriously ready to fight them at a moment’s notice?” 

“No, of course not.”

“Then what’s with the pout?”

“I am not pouting. That is undignified.” 

Ryoma resisted the urge to change the topic by taking Takumi into a headlock to ruffle his hair. He was no longer just an impulsive princeling, and he was in an inappropriate setting. 

But it was tempting. 

He didn’t get to reply as Corrin asked for his and Takumi’s input on archer and samurai positions. They both turned red, and Takumi sent Leo a glare when the latter snickered a little at his face. As he tried to stave off the feeling of being a student again, caught by the tutor daydreaming instead of working, he noticed Xander’s eyes on him as he spoke. And he noticed as he finished, Xander’s eyes lingered on him, the steel replaced with something else, something familiar, and Ryoma wanted to smile. 

Maybe he wasn’t alone in wanting to bridge the gap. 

-  
-

Ryoma found the other prince by himself later, sitting alone away from camp. The man had a book in his hands, his back propped against a tree, not even looking up from the words on the page. If it wasn’t for the curls and crown (and unmistakeable armor), Ryoma would have mistook him for his brother. 

Curious, Ryoma moved closer. 

The Norhian prince had removed his gauntlets, having set them aside on the ground near him, Siegfried lain close. Ryoma nearly thought he was imagining the sight, for Xander very rarely took off his armor, and rarer even still put Siegfried out of his hands. 

Ryoma did not even have to clear his throat, as Xander looked up at him with an arched eyebrow. “Good evening, Prince Ryoma. Did you need something?” 

“Good evening, Prince Xander. And, no. I was simply curious.” 

“About?” 

“Your hands.” 

Xander’s expectant face turned into one of bafflement, as he blinked owlishly at Ryoma, the words turning in his mind as he tried to connect any sort of logic to them. “I...beg your pardon?” 

Ryoma flushed a little pink, embarrassed at his lackluster response, but smiled nonetheless. “You never take off your gauntlets. And earlier, you were speaking with them.” 

“Ah, you were curious about sign language?” Xander looked calm, his grin practiced and subtle, but there was a spark in his eye that reminded Ryoma of Leo, when the younger Norhian was trading ideas with Takumi back and forth at an inhuman speed. It was a spark of joy, of excitement, and Ryoma could not look away as Xander kept talking, “It’s a beautiful language to watch. I was fairly certain Hoshido had an equivalent?” 

“We do. I never had the time or motivation to learn it, before. I was told it was the hard of hearing’s natural language- did you know someone who was? Or did I just never notice you could have been because I was a loud child?”

Xander smiled softly at the jibe, drawing a hand up from his book to stifle his chuckle. He moved it away as he spoke, his voice calmer than Ryoma has ever heard directed at him, “I was not hard of hearing then, nor am I now. I did know someone who was profoundly deaf in both ears as a child. She was the one who taught me.” 

“Fascinating,” Ryoma leaned a little closer, “I have never seen you use it before.”

“My father always thought using one’s voice was more powerful than their hands. I could not sign in front of him.”

“Would it be too much for me to ask who you could sign in front of?” 

“The woman who taught me, of course- she was an elderly woman named Oliviae and my siblings. Leo was a late talker, so I taught him sign so he could talk to me even when he did not speak.” 

Ryoma could imagine it. He could imagine a more confident Xander, still young, teaching his baby brother how to talk to him and him alone so he would never force him into speaking the way Xander was. He could imagine Leo being as mesmerized as Ryoma, himself, was- though maybe that was him projecting. 

“In Hoshido, our characters have to be written precisely, or the word you are using transforms into something completely different. I taught Takumi how to write, with calligraphy. He was a lot better at it than I ever could have been. I've also learned neighboring countries' languages- only their spoken ones, however. I never could get a hang of Wind Tribe hieroglyphics.” 

Ryoma could recall it clearly, the summer days spent indoors as he tried to guide his baby brother’s hand, even though he itched to be outside to train. He can remember the ink, the pride in his chest and in Takumi’s eyes when he could do it on his own.

One look at Xander and he was just as fascinated as Ryoma had been earlier. He smiled when he noticed that the other prince was slowly closing his book. He knew that the Nohrian library was vast, held nearly an ocean's worth of subjects, but he also knew that language was not as easily covered in such a limited form.

“Are you interested in learning Hoshidan, or any of the other languages, Prince Xander? I would be willing to teach.” 

“I will admit I am interested, though I cannot possibly ask you to devote that much time towards me.” 

“It would be my pleasure. Though I would ask one thing in return…”

“I’m listening.” 

“Could you teach me a little about your sign language? I will confess to you that I have less than fine motor skills in my hands, so any finer points to the language’s beauty will be lost with me. But I would like to understand when you do it.” The _I would like to understand you_ was unsaid, but Ryoma hoped he heard it. Or that there would come a time when he could say it aloud. 

Xander seemed taken aback, surprised by the request. It was a pleasant surprise, though, by the way his shock gave way to determination and a grin. 

“That sounds reasonable to me, Prince Ryoma. Are you sure you’re familiar enough with Nohrian as it is spoken, to learn its sign?” 

“Of course.” Ryoma scoffed, acting more offended than he felt. He did not spare time to think of how the other prince would react, but panic did not have time to grip his heart as it did nothing but fuel the other prince's grin. 

“I believe it is a deal.” 

As you wish, then. We will be seeing a lot more of each other.” 

And they shook hands, reminiscent of their agreement to work together, but it felt more real and heartfelt with Xander out of his gauntlets. Ryoma could not feel him through his, but that mattered little in comparison to the wry, amused smile on Xander’s face. 

(“Isn’t this what we wanted?” Sakura had asked him. 

"Yes," Ryoma had replied, "I suppose it is.")

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! Thank you for reading! 
> 
> (If you wanna talk to me about fire emblem please do, my tumblr is jakestartledthewitch, and I am in Desperate Need of fe i am dying)


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